Chronology of the Canadian Blue and Red Ensigns

01 July 1867

The Dominion of Canada is formed by confederation of the provinces of
Canada (which is divided into Ontario and Quebec on this date), Nova Scotia,
and New Brunswick. Presumably the new Dominion
adopted the 1865 Blue Ensign of the old province of Canada.Dean Tiegs, 21 December 1997

26 May 1868

A royal warrant grants arms to the four provinces and creates the Great
Seal of Canada, which is the four provincial arms quarterly.

Though the Great Seal looked like a coat of arms, it technically was not.

The Canadian Red Ensign was probably created shortly after this (without
formal authority) and flown over Parliament, but I have no date for this.

The Nova Scotia arms did not look like the current ones. They were gold
with a wavy blue horizontal bar charged with a silver salmon, with two
thistles above and one below. The Quebec arms were not quite the same as what
is commonly claimed to be the Quebec arms today (the arms have never
officially been changed): the top division was gold with two blue
fleurs-de-lis instead of blue with three gold fleurs-de-lis.Dean Tiegs, 21 December 1997

I recently bought a plate of the flags and badges of the British Empire
from c.1921-22 with the pre-1921 Canadian Blue Ensign. This clearly shows the
order as being:

1st: (top-left) Ontario

2nd: (top-right) Quebec

3rd: (bottom-left) Nova Scotia

4th: (bottom-right) New Brunswick

It is difficult to tell at the small scale on the Ensign, but there is a
separate picture of the New Brunswick shield on its own which clearly has the
galley sailing to the right.Roy Stilling, 19 October 1998

My understanding, however, is that this shield was not displayed on a Red
Ensign. Although it is true that the undefaced Red Ensign was a
favourite flag of many Canadians in 1860s, 70s, and 80s, permission to deface
the Red Ensign with the Canadian arms was not granted until c. 1892, (as part
of a war of words with the Admiralty)Glen Hodgins, 19 October 1998

16 December 1868

On December 16, 1868, the colonial secretary notified the governor general
that colonial government ships "shall use the blue ensign with the seal
or badge of the Colony in the fly thereof." (Fraser)

28 February 1870

Great Seal badge authorised as defacement on Blue Ensign.David Prothero, 26 July 1998